


Something to Do with Flowers

by Subject_0mega



Category: Dark Souls (Video Games), Dark Souls III
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 11:31:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7506585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subject_0mega/pseuds/Subject_0mega
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of fics for a Dark Souls modern AU, from the perspective of Oscar, who is a tenant of Lautrec's and the downstairs neighbor to Solaire in an apartment building. Later chapters will include and focus on other characters!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Something to Do with Flowers

 Oscar stood on the balcony to his apartment, as he often does on the weekend. His usual conversation companion was now receiving a rather harsh lecture from their landlord. Lautrec’s voice was low and harsh, making Oscar wonder what his friend did. He only caught snippets, but it had something to do with flowers? And a “damnable, yellow sun-monster”, as Lautrec put it. Oscar knew Solaire was up to something, but that seemed a bit harsh. He could be wrong, of course, as the cup of coffee in his hands was getting more and more distracting as the conversation got more heated. It seemed like his jolly upstairs neighbor wasn’t having a very good time.  
       “I swear, If you are hiding what I think you are,” threatened Lautrec, “I’ll have your hide!”  
       “I do apologize, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” replied Solaire as innocently as he could, almost eliciting a laugh from Oscar.  
       “What would be the sense in trying to grow something like that here anyway,” Lautrec commented as he was leaving. “No sun, and the rain makes the mud. Run. Everywhere.”  
       Oscar heard the door close, and heavy footsteps overhead as Solaire made his way to the balcony.  
       “Sorry about that,” Solaire sighed. Oscar could hear the railing above him creak.  
       “What was that about,” asked Oscar, genuinely curious.  
       “Nothing, really,” Solaire replied. “I wonder where he could have gotten that idea?”  
       Oscar smirked, his golden haired companion was a worse liar than Siegmeyer, and they both knew how terrible that man was when it came to the un-truth department.  
       “The idea about the flowers?” Oscar asked.  
       “Maybe,” Solaire said, trying to be sly.  
       “You’re hiding something aren’t you?” Oscar knew it was the truth, he wouldn’t be acting like that if he wasn’t.  
       “Maybe. I can’t really tell you,” the man above him thought for a second, “but I can show you!”  
       Oscar thought about it for a moment, the man was, bless his heart, an open book. As in, a book with bindings so stretched that the pages were practically falling out. He actually wanted to see what Solaire was hiding, if it was so secret that even his sunny companion wouldn’t talk about it.  
       “Oh, ummm, that is only if you want to,” Solaire stammered, “I wouldn’t want to impose!”  
       “No, don’t worry, I’d like to see what it is,” Oscar assured him. “If it got Lautrec that upset, it’s bound to be interesting.”  
       “Really?” Solaire asked, Oscar smiled at how giddy he sounded. “Okay, I’ll meet you by the lift.”  
       Oscar could hear Solaire make his way to the door, and shortly followed suit, placing his mug on the counter as he passed. At this point, he really was curious. Knowing Solaire, this thing he was hiding was bound to be of some interest. Well, anything that upset Lautrec was interesting in Oscar’s book.  
       As Oscar headed for the elevator, he heard footsteps behind him. Taking a peek behind him, pretending to be checking something else. Oh god, Oscar cursed to himself, one of the Patches. He quickly headed into the elevator and jabbed the close button. Oscar breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the door closing, but his ease was premature. Stopping the door with his hand, Patches stepped into the lift.  
       “It’s going up,” Oscar said in a final attempt to not have to spend twenty seconds with the other.  
       “Oh, I know,” Patches responded. “I’ll just ride it up. And thanks for holding the door, mate.”  
       Oscar tucked his arms to his sides as discreetly as possible. He had a sharp disdain for the band, everyone did. The only reason Lautrec hadn’t kicked them out was that the original tenant Patches had a nice roommate. No one could really tell the three apart, but Oscar was sure that it was the youngest that originally began renting.  
       “How is Greirat?” Oscar asked, in an attempt to gouge which Patches was in the lift with him. The three weren’t above kicking someone down a pit to get what they want, but the youngest had a soft spot for the man.  
       “He’s fine,” Patches replied, and Oscar knew that this probably was one of the other two Patches. “And how about Solaire, I heard quite the commotion earlier.”  
       “He’s fine,” Oscar replied, not knowing if that was a lie or not. Just then, the elevator rang, announcing it’s stop on the floor above. “Well, this is my stop.”  
       “See you,” Patches called as Oscar stepped out and into the hall.  
       “Hello there,” Solaire greeted.  
       “What is it that you wanted to show me?”  
       “Right this way,” Solaire led him to the door of his apartment. Oscar always dreaded visiting his friend’s place. He swore it got messier every time he came over. “Are you sure you can keep a secret?”  
       “Solaire? What are you hiding?” he asked, trying not to show his worry.  
       “I promise, it’s not too crazy,” Solaire replied as he opened the door. As expected, the place was a mess. “No pressure, it’s just that Lautrec would probably kill me if he found out.”  
       “Fine,” Oscar sighed, careful not to step on anything.  
       “Ahh, sorry,” Solaire laughed, “Alfred and Targray haven’t visited in awhile, so I haven’t gotten around to cleaning the place.”  
       “Your brothers are the only reason you ever pick up around here?” Oscar asked, slightly distressed.  
       “Well no,” Solaire trailed off before finding something to change the subject. “It’s right over here! Hold on, I’ll be right back.” Solaire rushed off towards another room in his apartment, leaving Oscar alone in the mess that was his living room.  
       Oscar stood still for a bit, it was uncomfortable being alone in someone else’s living space. He was relieved when his phone vibrated, only to be disappointed by the notification he got. The weird person that lived down the hall, he forgot their name, but their username was something strange… th3Ashen1 or something like that. He couldn’t recall. Hell, he didn’t even know what gender they were. All he knew about them was that they were a weird blogger that constantly creeped on one of the other tenants and posted weird quotes that Oscar was sure pertained to that said tenant.  
       Oscar frowned as he read it. Today I saw Him again at the gym. The man that took everything from me. He offered to spot for me, but I don’t need help from the likes of him.  
       “Ugh,” Oscar groaned. Just them they made another post. Today I got pinned under a bunch of weights. This is a metaphor for what I feel everyday. Also if anybody who isn’t Horace is at the Blue Sentinels gym, can you please help me out.  
       “Dude,” Oscar sighed under his breath.  
       Just then, Solaire walked back into the room. He looked even more excited than before.  
       “It’s ready,” Solaire said. “Just be prepared it’s too wonderful for words.”  
       “What is,” Oscar asked, starting to worry again as he followed Solaire.  
       “You’ll see,” Solaire laughed. “It’s right through here.”  
       Light streamed out from beneath the door that the two stood in front of. Oscar could smell something earthy. Oh, it better not be what I think it is.  
       “Here,” Solaire pushed open the door.  
       Lights were propped up in a circle around the room, and the floor was covered in plastic.  
       “Solaire…” Oscar trailed off. “Lautrec can’t find out about this, can he?”  
       “Hopefully he won’t,” Solaire replied.  
       The plant’s stem reached upwards, large petals forming a bright yellow circle at the top around a brown center. It was a sunflower. An incredibly large sunflower. Oscar couldn’t even think about how Solaire had managed to grow that thing. But he did. And there it was, almost reaching the ceiling. The damnable, yellow sun-monster. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s note: Thank you for reading! Again, I tried to write something different than what I normally do! I was a bit tired after writing something sad, so I tried something fun and light! I might make more chapters if this is received positively! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! Have a nice day!


	2. Not Just About That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anri comes to Oscar in the morning, worried over a lost pet. In the beginning it seems like it wasn't a very good occurrence that he found it.

       

       

It was early in the morning when Oscar heard a knock at his door. Setting his coffee cup and the book he was reading down on the counter, he went to go see who it was. Pulling the door open, Anri stood in front of him. They were carrying a small, plastic container, and their brow was knit in an expression of worry.  
       “I’m sorry to bother you this early in the morning,” they apologized, holding the container up. Their warm, brown eyes had dark circles below them. “But Kouta escaped, and I’ve been worried sick.”  
       “Kouta?” Oscar asked.  
       “My pet,” Anri nervously laughed. “He’s about this big.”  
       They made a circle with their fingers.  
       “And he’s fluffy, very cute, and very friendly,” they stated. “He’s also very fast, so please be careful. Kouta can be a bit… startling to strangers.”  
       “Yes, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for him,” Oscar assured. “I’ll call you if anything.”  
       “Thank you very much,” Anri said as they headed back down the hall, eyes set intently on the floor, searching for any indication of their pet. Oscar closed the door, heading back out to the balcony.  
       “Hey, Solaire,” he called.  
       “Yes?” Solaire replied.  
       “Do you want to come over?” Oscar asked.  
       “Sure,” his friend responded. “It’ll be nice to talk face to face for a change.”  
       “See you,” Oscar called as he heard Solaire head back.  
       Oscar went back into his own apartment, taking a seat by the door. He jumped a little, hearing something rustle around. Getting up out of his seat, he walked over to where he thought he heard it, only to find nothing. Oscar almost jumped out of his skin someone knocked at the door. He rushed over to open it, as expected, Solaire stood before him.  
       “Hey,” he greeted. “Come in, I’ll start a pot of coffee.”  
       “Thank you,” Solaire said as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “And what was that about earlier? With Anri.”  
       The tall man made his way past the kitchen and into his friend’s living room.  
       “Oh, Anri lost their-”  
       Oscar was cut off by a sharp scream from Solaire.  
       “Spider!” he shouted, tripping over the coffee table in an attempt to get away.  
       “What?!?” Oscar ran to his friend’s side, following his gaze to the creature on the floor. He recoiled a bit at the sight.  
       “Dear me! That thing is massive!” Solaire remarked, pointing towards it.  
       “Solaire, you get it,” Oscar entreated, nudging the taller man forward.  
       “Fine,” Solaire took a heavy inhale. “H-hand me a book or something.”  
       Oscar quickly grabbed the book from off the kitchen counter, handing it to his sunny companion. With a great heave, he sent the book flying. It landed with a heavy thud behind the spider, sending it scuttling forward. Both giving a shout of surprise, Oscar stepped back, and Solaire ran behind him.  
       “What was that?!?” Oscar yelled at his neighbor.  
       “I tried to hit it and-”  
       “You missed by a solid half a meter!”  
       “You go get it then!” Solaire goaded.  
       “Why me? You’re six foot seven, you’d have an easier time smashing it!”  
       “But you’re closer to the ground, which means you can reach it easier than I can!”  
       “That makes no sense!” Oscar shouted. They were both pressed up against the wall that ran along the side of the door trapped them there. With a heaving sigh, he realized that he had no other choice, Solaire looked absolutely petrified. “Fine, I’ll do it, just hand me that chair.”  
       Solaire lifted it with little to no effort, placing it in Oscar’s hand. He had to brace himself not to drop it. The smaller man went forward, it was so close that he almost didn’t have enough room to pull the chair back over his head. Right as he was about to bring it down, there was a desperate knock on the door.  
       “Hello, is everything alright?” Anri called. “I heard a commotion!”  
       None of them said a word, too caught up in slaying the creature in front of them.  
       “I’m coming in!” They opened the door, seeing what was about to happen. “待って!”  
       Their scream was too late, the wooden shape came down like a hammer on the spider. Anri looked at them, eyes wide in shock as Oscar froze as he was, chair still over it.  
       “ちくしょ!” Anri shouted. “ 康太⋯”  
       Oscar recognized that name, looking down at what used to be the spider and then back at Anri, it hit him. He’d just smashed their pet.  
       “Anri, I’m,” he began gently before being cut off.  
       “You told me you’d tell me if you happened upon him,” he could tell that they were angry, though there voice was low and quiet.  
       “Unfortunately, he did happen upon him,” Solaire remarked, looking down at where the spider was. “He happened all over him.”  
       Oscar gave the man a quick jab, and both of them turned to look at Anri. They were still standing in the door, taking in the situation. Oscar could hear heavy footsteps coming quickly down the hallway towards them.  
Anri gripped chunks of their straight, black hair in their hands, mouth wide as they looked at Oscar. They looked ready to cry or scream or both. Horace soon came in through the doorway, turning to them with a worried expression. He placed his hands of their shoulders and mouthed something, unwilling to let them go so he could sign something. Anri pushed forward pressing their face into his chest, pointing to the floor in front of Oscar where the stain that had once been their spider was. Horace wrapped his arms around Anri, tilting his head as he looked at Oscar with furrowed brow, his mouth pulled slightly to one side.  
       “Look, Anri, I’m sorry I killed your spider-”  
       “He’s wasn’t just a spider, he’s a Costa Rican Zebra tarantula!” they shouted at him, pulling themself away from Horace only to do so. “And he was special.”  
       Horace ran his hand through Anri’s hair, trying his best to console them. They looked up at him, and sniffled a bit before beginning to speak again.  
       “He had so many good years left, Horace,” they whispered. “And now we have to scrape him off the floor. It just isn’t fair. It’s not fair!”  
       Horace was nodding as he lead them out of the room. The footsteps of the pair slowly faded down the hall, and Oscar could hear a door down the hall open and close.  
       “I’ve really messed up, haven’t I?” Oscar put down the chair and slumped down into it.

                     

~~~~~~

       

Anri hadn’t so much as looked at Oscar the following week, beside the occasional cold glare here and there. Any attempt he made to talk to them resulted in either a door being slammed in his face, or them walking away. Yet still, Oscar found himself back in front of their door. He rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do. Hesitantly, he raised his hand to knock on the door, but before he could bring it down on the wood surface, a hand came to rest on his shoulder. Oscar jumped back, turning to the person whom the hand belonged to: Horace.  
       The larger man gave him a friendly smile before pulling a notepad from his pocket. He had gotten used to carrying it around, since most of the other tenants didn’t know sign language. He wrote something down and then turned the pad around so that Oscar could read it.  
       “Here to talk to Anri?”  
       Oscar nodded his head, and Horace nodded as well, a look of understanding crossing his face. He turned the pad back around and wrote something else down.  
       “They’re still upset.”  
       “I know,” Oscar sighed. “I can’t blame them, after what I did. I should just leave.”  
       Horace placed both hands on the other man’s shoulders, looking him square in the eyes with a gentle yet stern resolve. He shook his head, then pulled away to write something on his notepad again before placing one of his hands back on Oscar’s shoulders.  
       “That’s why you need to talk to them.”  
       Oscar looked at him, and then nodded.  
       “Thank you, Horace,” he took a deep breathe.  
       Oscar turned back to the door, feeling better now that he stood behind him. Horace stepped forward and knocked for him, three steady taps. The two of them heard hurried footsteps from inside, Oscar noticed that Horace had an almost giddy smile on his face.  
       “Horace!” Anri gushed as they opened the door. Their eyes trailed to Oscar, and their smile pressed down into a thin line. “Oh, you.”  
       “Anri, can’t you just-”  
       “Forget about it,” they flatly stated. “I’ve nothing more to say.”  
       “I’m sorry, okay? Can’t we just-”  
       “Ugh!” Anri cut him off, covering their ears. “Go away!”  
       They quickly slammed the door. Oscar and Horace exchanged a worried look. About five seconds later, the door opened again.  
       “Horace, you can come in,” they beckoned to him. “But I’m not talking to him.”  
       Horace shook his head, signing something to them. Oscar didn’t understand, but Anri did.  
       “Horace, I’m not going to do that!” they shouted.  
       “Anri, I’m just here to talk!”  
       Horace signed something again, and Anri turned back and walked into their apartment. They were clutching the sleeves of their jacket, and their head was lowered.  
       “No, there’s nothing here for you. Nothing at all.”  
       Horace frowned and moved in front of them, signing something quickly. They turned their head away. Horace looked at Oscar, and he knew what the other wanted him to do. Talk to Anri.  
       “Anri, I’m sorry, If I’d known…”  
       “I know!” Anri shouted. “Why do you think I’m angry!”  
       Oscar looked at them, dumbfounded.  
       “What?” he asked.  
       They turned towards him, tearing up.  
       “I’m not mad at you!” they yelled. “Okay?!?”  
       Horace gave them a concerned look, and placed a hand on their shoulder.  
       “It’s my fault…” they trailed off. “I’m sorry I yelled…”  
       They walked past Horace.  
       “I’m not even good enough at even the things I like doing,” they began. “The things I want to do in the future.”  
       Horace signed something to them, and they gave him a slight smile.  
       “I don’t deserve a friend like you,” they whispered.  
       Horace frowned and signed something again.  
       “Horace, I couldn’t even take care of a single spider,” they stated. “It’s not just about that, how could I ever…”  
Horace signed something long, but Oscar knew it was personal. He felt awkward standing there, but at least he wasn’t getting yelled at. Anri laughed, bringing his attention back to them.  
       “Horace…” they signed something to him. It was simple, one gesture with three raised fingers. The two embraced before turning back to Oscar.  
       “It was wrong of me to blame you,” Anri began. “I should have told you.”  
       “No, I’m sorry I smashed him,” Oscar apologized.  
       “You couldn’t have known,” they admitted.  
       “Then let’s put it behind us,” he said, extending his hand to them.  
       “That would be nice,” they smiled, shaking his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you for reading! As always, feedback, kudos, and comments are always appreciated! Have a great day!


	3. Stargazing Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oscar decides to accompany Solaire to a party, a decision he will later come to regret after an incident involving two familiar faces, the accidental pilfering of a cup, and a long walk home.

       

Oscar wasn’t really someone that liked parties, but he promised Solaire he would go. He didn’t mind it too much, at least Yhorm and Siegward’s house was nice and there would be drinks. Solaire was off socializing, but he picked a spot near the edge of the room to be a wallflower at. Oscar stared intently down at his cup, barely noticing when Solaire came back to check on him.  
       “Are you okay?” his friend asked. “You seem nervous.”  
       “Yes, I’m fine,” he replied. “I’m just not very good at socializing, sorry.”  
       “Don’t be,” Solaire assured him. “I’m glad you came.”  
       “I am to, it’s nice to get out,” Oscar laughed.  
       “Anri’s out back if you’d like to go have a chat with them.” Oscar frowned, peering behind him.  
       “I was just thinking about going out there,” he stated. “That weirdo’s hanging around again.”  
       Oscar recognized them as another tenant at his apartment building. He didn’t know much about them, but he did follow them on social media, but only because they had a mutual friend. Needless to say, their content was strange and worrying.  
       “That one?” Solaire motioned back to the suspicious figure standing next to a woman in a black dress, trying to make it not look like they were staring at them. Oscar nodded. His sunny neighbor frowned. “Are they burning stuff in the firepit?”  
       “Yes,” Yhorm interjected, startling both of them, he usually wasn’t one to jump into conversations. “I don’t know why Siegward invites them over, that’s just what they do.”  
       “Siegward knows them?” Solaire asked. They seemed a far cry from anyone he expected the jolly man to be friends with.  
       “Yes, why else would I let them in my house?” Yhorm grumbled, taking a slow drink from his cup. “At least they bring their own lighter fluid.”  
       “Do you know what they’re burning?” Oscar inquired. If Yhorm was pissed, he could at least get some answers out of him.  
       “Probably pictures of that man again,” the unusually tall man thought for a moment. “The one that doesn’t talk… Horace I think his name was.”  
       “Of course,” both Solaire and Oscar sighed.  
       “I’m going out there. Now,” Oscar stated.  
       “I’ll go too,” Solaire added. “I’m not getting the most trustworthy vibe from this person, and that woman next to them is making me uneasy.”  
       The two left Yhorm to his own drunken devices as they went out to keep Anri company.  
       “Oh, hello,” Anri greeted. “I didn’t think I’d see you here. I mean, no offence, it’s a pleasant surprise.”  
       “Yeah, I’m always full of surprises,” Oscar said, keeping his eyes on the two people standing on the edge of the patio as he took a seat next to Anri. Oscar put his cup down, still keeping his attention on them.  
       “How’ve you been?” Oscar asked, careful not to mention Horace.  
       “How’s the new spider,” Solaire inquired cheerfully.  
       “I’ve been good,” they replied. “And she’s doing great, still haven’t figured out a name, though. How are you guys?”  
       “Busy, but otherwise I’m fine,” Solaire answered.  
       “I’m good,” he turned and reached down to retrieve his cup, emptying it of its contents. Oscar was looking right at them, the one that burned the pictures turned away, but the woman held his gaze. He saw a expression twist her features, but it was gone as soon as it came. He didn’t know why, but she seemed… Afraid? No, panic was a better word to describe that glance. He put down the cup, and turned to continue his conversation.  
       The three of them sat and talked for a while, people were beginning to leave, when Oscar started to feel odd. _Maybe I’m just drunk _, he thought to himself, although he didn’t recall drinking enough to make him feel as awful as he did.__  
       “I’ll be right back,” he excused himself from the group.  
       “Are you okay,” Anri asked, their brow knit in concern.  
       “Yeah, I’m just a bit… I don’t know,” he replied. “I’m feeling sick.”  
       Quickly stumbling inside, he felt nauseous and unsteady. As he made his way through the kitchen, he saw both Siegward and Yhorm propped up against each other on the floor. The shorter man leaned forward from the wall, looking up at the man stumbling past with tired and clouded concern.  
       “A-are you feeling well?” he asked, not looking to be in the best state himself. Yhorm was staring off at the floor, looking just about ready to fall over.  
       “Yes,” Oscar stammered his reply. “I’m just going to-”  
       He couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence as he stumbled out the front door and into the yard. The man clumsily tried to stay on his feet, continuing to try to keep his balance as the world seemed to spin. When he could no longer manage, he collapsed into one of the bushes.  
       Oscar couldn’t tell when he lost consciousness, but things seemed to come in and out in his awareness. Everything was blurry, but he could hear heels clicking over the ground. Then back to unconsciousness. The next thing he knew, someone was standing above him. The disoriented man couldn’t tell much about her, but she was wearing black. The next thing he knew, the door to the house opened, but the light was shielded by the figure who came out before. He could hear someone walking past, they were saying something, but he couldn’t hear it. Was she trying to hide him? He blacked out once more.  
       Oscar woke up again when his head hit the ground, someone had grabbed him by the ankles and pulled him out of the bushes and onto the lawn. He guessed that they were the same woman from before. His head was pounding from the collision, but he slipped back into sleep again.  
       Frantic footsteps over pavement. Oscar could hear them trampling the grass as they ran to him from the door that had quickly swung open. They called out to him as they approached where he was spread out on the ground.  
       “Oscar!” Hearing Solaire’s voice sent a wave of relief through him. “There you are!”  
       The large man knelt down next to him, Oscar tried to get up, but barely made it off the ground before falling back.  
       “Take it easy!” he advised, concerned. “Are you okay?”  
       “Where’s Anri?” the man on the ground asked, somewhat deliriously.  
       “Don’t worry, they left already,” Solaire assured him. “Here, let me help you up.”  
       He gently pulled his friend into a seated position, holding on to him until he was sure the other man wouldn’t fall over. With a hand still cautiously rested on his back, Solaire began to speak again.  
       “Can you stand up?”  
       Oscar weakly shook his head.  
       Solaire bit his lip before laughing nervously, he opened his mouth, closing it again as he thought of what he was going to say. Before he could find the words, Oscar began to fall over. Catching him, Solaire pulled the smaller man onto his back. After making sure that his nearly unconscious friend was secure, he stood up slowly. With a small bounce, he turned his head slightly to acknowledge his companion.  
       “Ah, sorry I didn’t warn you first,” he apologized. “Are you comfortable with this?”  
       Oscar nodded profusely, Solaire couldn’t see it, but he was looking at him as if he was the most valiant thing he had ever seen. Solaire carried him back to the walkway, peeking back into the house.  
       “Thank you for having us over,” he said, and both Siegward and Yhorm turned to him. They were still in the same place on the floor, but they seemed more alert than before. They both waved, and Solaire shut the door before continuing to the sidewalk.  
       The two continued towards their apartment building, and Solaire was glad it was only about half a mile away. As he walked, he noticed how tightly Oscar had grabbed on to him.  
       “Are you alright?” he softly asked, he began to panic when he heard a sniffle from the man on his back.  
       “A-are you crying?” Solaire stammered, not knowing what else to say.  
       The smaller man felt overwhelmed, mostly in part to whatever he had taken.  
       “Yes,” Oscar replied as he clung tighter to his friend.  
       “Is it something I-” Solaire began, worried.  
       “Yes,” Oscar cut him off. “Why are you so nice to me?”  
       “Because you’re my friend,” Solaire answered.  
       “Why?” Oscar struggled to get his words out. “I don’t even know how people know my name.”  
       “Oscar, it’s quite alright,” Solaire assured him. He sounded distracted, and Oscar wondered why. “I’m the one who’s lucky I found someone like you.”  
       “You’re so nice, I hope you know that,” Oscar stated. “And your hair is soft.”  
       “Are you feeling alright?” Solaire was searching for what to say. “You seem a bit out of sorts.”  
       “No,” Oscar admitted, nestling into Solaire’s back. “Quite terrible actually.”  
       “Drunk?”  
       “Maybe, but I don’t think so,” Oscar shook his head feebly. “Could you do me a favor?”  
       “Yes,” he responded.  
       “Talk to me please,” the man’s ailing friend requested. “About anything. I just need to not think about this right now.”  
       It was a quiet night, and the only sounds they could hear beside their own voices was the wind through the trees and their own footsteps. Solaire looked for something to distract him with.  
       “Look at how nice the stars are,” Solaire commented. “I’m sure you could see some nice constellations, do you want to talk about the stars?“  
       “Okay,” Oscar tiredly responded, knowing that stars, and especially the sun, were some of Solaire’s favorite things.  
       “Let’s see, it’s July so,” Oscar could feel his friend’s head rub up against his own as he looked up, “we should be able to see some nice ones. Like Apus and Serpens!”  
       Solaire pushed on as he spoke, happy that, as far as he could tell, what he was doing seemed to be working. Pointing out any stars or constellations he saw, his companion listened attentively the entire time.  
       He set his friend down on the steps to the building as he searched for his keys, taking great care in making sure he wouldn’t fall over. Solaire fumbled with the keys for a bit before finding the right ones. Picking Oscar back up again, he unlocked the door and carried him into the building. The taller man hoped that he wouldn’t encounter any of the other tenants, or worst of all, Lautrec.  
       Taking a look around the lobby, Solaire quickly jogged the short distance to the elevator. The doors slid open as soon as he pressed the button, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped inside and pressed the button for Oscar’s floor. When the doors opened, he peeked out, making sure that the floor was clear. Just as he had done in the lobby, he quickly made his way to his companion’s door.  
       Solaire put Oscar gently on the floor, propping him up against the wall.  
       “Do you have your keys?”  
       Oscar nodded, clumsily trying to reach for one of his jacket pockets.  
       “Let me help,” Solaire said as he easily pulled the keys forth. He stood up from where he knelt next to Oscar and unlocked the door, pushing it open before picking his companion up and walking inside.  
       “Would you mind if I stayed here tonight?” Solaire asked as he carried Oscar to his bedroom.  
       His friend shook his head.  
       “Thank you,” in truth, he wished to stay to make sure Oscar was okay through the night, and was glad his friend had let him.  
       After placing Oscar on the bed, Solaire collapsed onto the couch. Looking up at the ceiling, he wondered how the other would feel in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say Oscar's not going to be the only one regretting what happened during/after the party! www We'll find out who these other people are soon though!  
> As always, thank you for reading! Feedback, kudos, comments, ect. are always appreciated! Have a great day!


	4. Who Did It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up in his apartment, Oscar is resolved to find out what happened the night before, or more specifically who was behind what happened that night. He does find a lead back where it happened, but is left with qusetions.

        The groaning form of Oscar slid off of the bed, his head was pounding. Making, or rather crawling, his way to the bathroom that adjoined his room, the mess of a man pulled himself up in front of the sink. He tried to collect his thoughts as he went about cleaning himself up, barely even able to stand in the shower. The night before was a blur, Oscar remembered the party, but something went wrong. After he talked to Anri on the patio, he felt sick and he went inside. The, at the time, very impaired party goer remembered falling into one of the bushes, but the rest was hazy. He couldn’t even remember how he got back to his apartment.  
        Quickly getting dressed, Oscar looked down at his watch as he quickly made his way down the hall. It was just past seven, and he was glad that it was early. After the night they had, Siegward and Yhorm probably wouldn’t wake up early, giving him enough time to get to their house to look for any clues as to what happened. Coming to his living room, the man, his focus almost blinding him to his current surroundings, spotted Solaire sleeping on the couch. Smiling to himself, he figured out how he got back at least. Solving any mystery at all was a good thing.  
        Moving back into his bedroom, he grabbed a blanket. Oscar draped it over Solaire as he passed. It was a tad bit late, but his sleeping neighbor probably wouldn’t be up for a while anyway. Quickly scribbling a note and leaving it on the coffee table, he passed to the door. With a quiet resolve, he set out to get to the bottom of what happened that night.

~~~

        Sitting up and reaching for their phone, the person that had come to call themself the Ashen One checked to see what had elicited the short ring. After giving a dejected sigh, the tired tenant slumped back into their bed. It was just Yuria. Opening up to their blog, they began to type.  
        “When you think it’s them, but it’s not.” They barely had time to put their phone down again before they got a notification.  
        “Who is this ‘them’?” The Ashen One, gave a look of utter annoyance before responding.  
        “That’s not for you to know.”  
        “Then why post it?” Greirat argued.  
        “At least my blog is popular,” they quickly posted.  
        “At least my blog isn’t devoted to grumbling and strange fantasies,” Greirat accused.  
        “At least I’m not shagging Patches.”  
        “That’s not true!”  
        “At least he’s not shagging a sock, mate,” Patches jumped in to defend his roommate.  
        The Ashen One blocked both of them. With nothing else to do, they checked on the text Yuria sent them.  
        “Are you feeling well?”  
        “No,” they texted before setting their phone back so they could get ready for the day.

~~~ 

       

Oscar rang the doorbell of Yhorm and Siegward’s house. He could hear a bustle coming from upstairs, loud voices muffled. After a few moments, footsteps pounding down the stairs, and the door flew open. Standing before him was Siegward, clad in sweat shorts and a shirt that seemed to have been buttoned in such a haste that the two sides weren’t aligned. Smoothing back his hair, Siegward greeted his friend.  
        “Good morning, Oscar,” he gave an almost nervous sounding laugh as he peaked back inside his house. “What brings you around at this time of day?”  
        “Ah, yes, I’m sure you’re aware of this already, but I was at the party last night,” Oscar began, pausing to think about how he should word what came next. “I think someone slipped something in my drink.”  
        “What?” Siegward gasped. “Why would anyone do that?”  
        “I don’t know,” Oscar replied. “But would you mind if I checked your patio?”  
        “Not at all!” The stocky man stepped aside.  
        The blonde man stepped inside, picking up his shoes beforehand, looking around the room quickly. With a puzzled expression, he looked back at Siegward, who gripped the door tightly.  
        “Why is all this clothes lying about?” he asked as he stepped over a shirt that seemed to have been tossed aside.  
        “Hmmm, yes… About that,” Siegward looked to the side, avoiding his guest’s gaze as he forced out laughter. “You see-”  
        Before he could continue, Yhorm jumped down from the stairs, startling the two. Clad in just underwear and a turtleneck sweater, both ill fitting, he picked up where Siegward could not.  
        “We were, umm...” the tall man thought for a moment. “We were going to wash some laundry, but didn’t get around to it yet!”  
        “Yes, of course!” Siegward quickly agreed.  
        Oscar looked at the two suspiciously as Yhorm walked past him to pick up his scarf, which was draped over the sofa. Quickly wrapping it back around his neck, he returned to his friend’s side.  
        “You wanted to check out the patio?” he asked, as if nothing was amiss.  
        Oscar nodded, a bit bewildered, before heading outside. Pushing the screen door to the side, he peaked out and dropped his shoes onto the ground.  
        “You couldn’t have grabbed your pants first?” Siegward whispered, thinking that their guest was out of earshot.  
        Holding back a laugh, Oscar stepped onto the patio, all the cups were still there. Well, most of them. It looked like someone had tried to clean up, but got distracted.  
        “Did any of you try to fix up back here?” the man called.  
        “No,” Yhorm answered. "Not that I know of."  
        Squatting down, he examined where Solaire and Anri were sitting. All of the cups were untouched. His own cup was still standing on the far side of the group. Picking it up, he almost dropped it again. Anri’s name graced the side. Not thinking, he ran back inside.  
        “Oscar, what’s wrong?” Siegward worriedly asked.  
        “Thank you, Siegward,” the now furious man almost yelled as he passed. “There’s something I have to do.”  
        “What’s going on?” Yhorm grabbed Oscar by the shirt sleeve, stopping him. “You look like you’re about to do something stupid.”  
        “That cup wasn’t meant for me!” Oscar shouted, pulling his arm away. Pushing past the door, he ran to his car.  
        “Hey! Wait!” Yhorm shouted as he made a break for the door.  
        “No, not dressed like that!” Siegward pulled him back. 

~~~

        Stepping out of their apartment, Dusty kicked the paper into their apartment, having no real intention of reading it later. They looked down at their watch before wandering out into the hall, they hadn’t checked their mail in a few days and it was just about time. They didn’t get far before they heard the elevator door open and footsteps thunder closer and closer to them. Turning the corner with ferocious speed, Oscar looked absolutely rabid. The confused tenant took a quick glance behind themself, and then back at the man.  
        They thought of it comparable to something in a horror game, the way he was on them so quickly. His arm pressing against their neck as he pinned them to the wall.  
        “I can’t believe you would do that, you absolute fuck!” Oscar shook them with surprising strength for someone of his size.  
        “What are you talking about?!?” Dusty exclaimed.  
        “Don’t play games with me, Creep!” the smaller man slammed him into wall. “I know what you did to Anri!”  
        “What did I do?” they yelled.  
        “You slipped something in Anri’s drink you bloody reptile!”  
        “What are you walking about!” Dusty was genuinely confused, but something told them that Oscar didn’t believe them. “I would never do that to Anri! Why would I?”  
        “Why would you?”  
        “I didn’t! You’re the dude from the party, right? When would I have been able to put something in their drink?”  
        “I don’t know, but you’re the only one who would!”  
        “I’d never hurt them!” the restrained tenant loudly assured him. “Did anything happen to them? Are they alright?”  
        “Yes they are, because I’m the one that ended up being drugged!”  
        “Oh my god, I wouldn’t do that! I wouldn’t do that!”  
        “Why should I believe you?!?”  
        “I love them, why would I want to hurt them?” Something about how pathetic they sounded made him almost believe them. “I wouldn’t do that to them!”  
        “Then who did it?” Oscar harshly asked, loosening his grip.  
        “I don’t know!” Dusty answered.  
        The blond man thought for a few moments, then let them go.  
        “Fine, I believe you. But if it wasn’t you, who was it?”  
        “What’s your name?” he softened his tone slightly. “I’ve seen you around the theatre.”  
        “They call me,” they paused for dramatic effect. “The Lord of Hollows.”  
        Oscar stifled back laughter, this definitely wasn’t the person he was looking for. He turned around and walked away, leaving them leaning up against the wall. He was still determined to figure out what happened that night, and he was going to find out who did it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, it's been awhile. I've just been balancing too many things at once. But someone requested that I work on this again, so here I am. It's not the best, but I'm looking forward to writing the next few chapters! Thanks for reading, and as always feedback, comments, and kudos are greatly appreciated!


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